Heartbroken
by Aerosophical
Summary: Post-game. Serah has come out of crystal stasis only to suffer from an incurable heart disease. What's an older sister to do?
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:This is another fic centering around Lightning and Serah, but it's not something romantic, just family. It's post-game so there are some spoilers, just warning you now. I originally intended for this to be a oneshot, but I ended up splitting it into four parts. I feel like I jumped all over the place but in any case, here's the first chapter.  
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**-Chapter 1-_  
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Lightning Farron was sitting in the waiting room of a makeshift hospital in Oerba. The walls were made of metal, and the chairs were made of hardy wood. There were some people sitting near the walls, holding some injured body parts, and masks covering their faces. All of the Cocoon residents had to get used to life on Pulse and create new buildings to live in, but the hospital was one of the first places up and running. Gran Pulse was a dangerous place swarming with fiends and Behemoths, so people had to learn to fight and defend themselves. Of course, not all of them had the training so injuries were expected for the first couple of days. That was why the hospital was set-up, because, who knew what else lurked out there? People wanted to be very sure that they would be able to recover with whatever that would come their way. But this was all beside the point. Lightning was thinking about what had transpired in the last few days, and her thoughts fell on her little sister, Serah.

Lightning simply didn't understand. Why her of all people? It had been merely a week since Serah had come out of her crystal stasis. A week since Vanille and Fang gave their lives to save Cocoon. A week since all Cocoon residents moved to Pulse. Even after everything she had done to save her, Serah was dying. Practically a day after she came out of crystallization, she had a heart attack. The doctors said it was an unknown side effect of waking up from crystal stasis. As a better example, it would be like being frozen in cryogenics. If you forcibly awaken someone from their icy slumber, the body can't handle starting all functions immediately. Thus, to forcibly awaken someone would damage the person, without any hope of recovery. Lightning and the others were fine because they hadn't been in crystal stasis long. But Serah… it had been a long time for her.

Sarah eventually woke up three days later, saying that she was fine. The doctors came into the room with soft smiles, but Lightning knew better. As soon as she left the room, the doctors pulled her aside and told Lightning that there was no possible hope of recovery, even with their advanced medical technology. They never had a L'Cie who completed their focus, come back before, so there was no known way to treat her. Other than her heart, there was nothing physically wrong with her. Because her heart couldn't pump the necessary blood for her normal bodily functions, the doctors estimated that she would live a few more months, before her heart simply couldn't provide the necessary blood anymore. They told Serah shortly after, and she was hardly ecstatic at the news.

Lightning then recalled the words the doctor had told her ten minutes earlier_, "The only way to save her is through a heart transplant." _

Heart donors were hard to come by, because, if one gave up their heart, they would obviously die. It was hard to imagine giving up your heart to someone you know, let alone a complete stranger. The chances were even slimmer now than ever, because everyone was trying to adjust to life on Pulse. People didn't have any Fal'Cie to rely on, so they had to do everything for themselves.

Serah was too young to go like this. She was eighteen for god's sake. She didn't deserve this, she had so much to live for, she had her engagement with Snow, her college years, her first child. But what did Lightning have to look forward to? The only thing she had ever known was her job in the military and protecting her sister. Originally to find Serah, she quit her job in the military. After the whole L'Cie mess was over, Lightning decided to spend more time with her sister. She had to make up for the several years of letting Serah feel lonely, so she opted not to get her old job position back. That was the main reason of the two's isolation to begin with. In addition, she was soon going to lose her sister again soon. She would once again after to face her younger sibling, dead. This wasn't something she could bear to see again. She had to do something but what? What could she even do? Then she understood.

She would give her heart--- for Serah's sake.


	2. Chapter 2

**-Chapter 2-**

She couldn't let Serah know for obvious reasons. There was no way she was going to allow her only sister to give her life for her. She would be mortified upon hearing it and would refuse to go through with the operation. Thus, the only plausible option was to have the doctor say that they found a suitable donor. She'd accept the operation, and when everything was said and done, she would be saddened, but she would also eventually accept it, because there was nothing more to be done. She would live her life—and that was the only thing Lightning could have asked for.

Standing up from her sitting spot, Lightning went to tell the doctors of her decision. She asked them to keep the donor a secret, and they agreed. They said that since she was in top physical condition, there wouldn't be any complications in the transplant. The operation would take place a day after tomorrow, this allowed necessary time for preparations, and one final day with her sister. Instead of going to Serah's hospital room, she opted to go home. Once Serah had found out the 'great' news, she would call Lightning. She was absolutely sure of it. Until then, she would tie up any lose ends, and figure out if she could make plans with her sister. Though her heart was still weak, she could handle walking around and doing activities people usually did. Her heart hadn't deteriorated to the point where she couldn't do anything anymore at least.

Lightning walked around the temporary Cocoon town and moved to her apartment. Her apartment wasn't very nice in terms of aesthetics, but that couldn't have been helped. With millions of Cocoon citizens now living on Gran Pulse, homes were built hastily, but were sturdy enough to live in and keep common creatures at bay. She was actually pretty lucky to get an apartment at all. Some people were still living in tents on the streets. But, being one of the saviors of Cocoon did have its perks.

Lightning walked into her apartment and sat on a chair in front of a table. Pulling out a sheet of paper from the side of the desk, she started writing and then heard a ring coming from her waist belt. It was her cell phone. Lightning knew it had to be Serah, because no one else knew the number for her direct line. When she was in the military, they were all issued communicators so there was never any need to be reached on her personal phone. Mentally checking what she was going to say to Serah, she answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi Claire! Guess what?" Serah spoke animatedly.

"What happened?" Lightning smiled slightly, already anticipating the next answer.

"They actually found a heart donor! They said that this rarely ever happens, but I guess we lucked out huh?"

"Right."

"The donor asked to be anonymous but that's beside the point. This is so great, now I can do all the things I wanted. Marry Snow, go to college, spending more time with you…." Serah spoke, while listing all the other things she wanted to do after her operation.

"I…." Lightning trailed off, not knowing how to reply to the last comment.

She then continued, Lightning knew full well the answer but, she decided to ask anyway.

"When's the operation?"

"The doctors said that they needed to prepare tomorrow, so it'll be the day after tomorrow." Serah said.

"In that case do you mind spending the day with me tomorrow? I just thought it'd be nice instead of being confined to the bed all day."

"Sure, the doctors said it's fine for me to move about, though I can't really do anything too strenuous. I'm so excited though, in a few days everything will be back normal again!"

Lightning didn't know if she could bear this conversation anymore. Tears began to form at her eyes, threatening to drop from the corner of her eyes. She held in her sobs and proceeded to end the conversation.

"Okay, we'll meet up in front of our apartment in Oerba. Bye."

"I'll meet you there, and I love you Claire."

Lightning tensed at the words, and before she could reciprocate, Serah had already hung up.


	3. Chapter 3

**-Chapter 3-**

**Serah's POV **

-_Oerba, in front of Lightning & Serah's apartment-_

It was 8AM when I arrived in Oerba. Lightning was in front of the make-shift apartment, waiting for me. She was turned out towards the crystallized lake, and as much as she would hate to admit it, she loved living there. Oerba village was a nice place to look at, and a small reminder of her former journey. I sneaked over to her, trying to see if I could surprise her.

"Morning Serah." She didn't even have to turn around to notice my footsteps. I was surprised she had heard me, but I covered my disappointment with a cheery voice and said, "Hi Sis!"

"Serah, did you want to go anywhere in particular?" She asked me.

There weren't any grand stores to be found on Pulse yet, but the nature and scenery easily compensated for the casual window shopping.

"Hm… I don't really know, I haven't been on Pulse too long to tell. You've been here before right?" I questioned.

"I had a few places in mind, but it's a surprise."

"Are they dangerous?" I asked, worried.

"Yes, but I can protect you from the fiends, and it's not like we'll be walking through there on foot."

"We're not walking then how…?"

"Follow me and I'll show you."

Lightning walked off to the side of the building and emerged twenty seconds later, holding some leather reins. As she walked, she eventually pulled out a Chocobo from the side the apartment. I was mesmerized at the sight. Sure, Cocoon had Chocobos, but I had never seen one this close before. I loved animals but I was kind of intimidated by the large bird before me. It towered over me at about 8 feet, and I was a little antsy about standing next to him.

When Claire and I were kids, we visited the Nautilus once before, so we saw the Chocobos. As soon as I tried to go over to the birds to pet them, she pulled me back, scolding me, _"Serah, they have a lot of germs, and they could hurt you. It's probably best not to approach them." _ Back then, I was more obedient, so I readily complied. I loved her more than anything at that time. Since she said that all those years ago, I was surprised when she motioned for me to come closer. I walked slowly and lightly, hoping not to anger the bird. When I was in close enough proximity the feathery creature studied me for a while, before chirping in approval. That was the signal I could approach and pet him, and I eagerly took the opportunity. Raising my hand, I gently laid my fingers against the rough, yet smooth feathers, before combing through them. The Chocobo cooed in satisfaction and began to look out at the other buildings around Oerba.

Knocking me out of my reverie, she called out to me,"I could only get one because they were very high in demand."

Chocobos were now the new means of transportation ever since their high-tech vehicles had stopped working with the disappearance of the Fal'Cie. Chocobos were docile, quick, and could cover vast distances. Thus they were ideal in getting to where you need to.

Claire pulled herself up onto the Chocobo and I stopped petting the animal, gazing at the sight. She could see nervous anticipation on my face, and she extended a gentle hand towards me.

"Here, climb on the back. It's too dangerous for you to drive one since you don't know how to control one yet."

I accepted the hand and was hoisted onto the back of the bird. Thinking I was going to fall, I was amazed at how high I was.

"Hold on tight." Lightning commanded.

I obeyed, and as soon as I tightly linked my arms around her waist, we took off. The Chocobo moved quickly and effortlessly through the maze that was Oerba. The wind rushed quickly around us, and my side ponytail carelessly drifted in the breeze. I couldn't see much of what was happening around here, since everything became a blur in the speed of the Chocobo. The metallic buildings of Oerba started to blend in with the crystal sea, which made discerning objects impossible. I don't know how Claire did it. She maneuvered the Chocobo with no effort on her part, and she seemed like a natural. Maybe it was her years of training as a soldier that caused her vision to be better. While I was thinking all of this, I noticed we already left the village. After we left, plants and enemies became more evident. Some tried to chase us, but they were no match for our speed. Others watched us for a while, but ignored us, deciding we weren't worth the effort. The scenery was beautiful, but the air coming from the quick ride was chilly. I began to wrap my arms tighter around her waist before she spoke.

"We'll be there soon, don't worry." She replied, noting the action.

After about a minute or so we were in front of a rocky ledge and I was slightly perplexed at why we had stopped so abruptly. But before I had any more time to contemplate the thought, the Chocobo jumped and started scaling up the peak. I shut my eyes at the dizzying height, and eventually we came to a stop. Opening my eyes, I was breathless at the sight. We were on a very high peak in the Archylyte Steppe and I could see the vast green land below. I saw the wild animals frolicking with each other in the plains, the cries of battle between some enemies, and even the thundering of the footsteps from the Adamantoises.

"It's beautiful." I said in a whisper.

"It really is. When I was here the first time, I was amazed that the place Cocoon had condemned as 'Hell' could look so amazing. I probably wouldn't have seen it either, if not for your Hero fiancé who wanted to help those Cie'th stones." She mused.

"Yup, that sounds like Snow alright." I replied.

She got off the Chocobo first and offered me a hand to get down, which I took. Surprisingly, there were no monsters in the rocky area, so we were free to walk about without restraint. We took a walk around the area talking about anything we really could. Sometimes it was about her L'Cie journey, or sometimes we just talked about our old past--- before she had become Lightning.

"Wait…That was YOU?!" I asked incredulously.

Turning her head to the side, she nodded.

"Oh my gosh Claire, for the longest time I thought a monster was living under my bed! I couldn't sleep for days!"

With an apologetic look she said, "Sorry, but I couldn't help it. You were just too funny to tease."

Then, before we knew it, the sunlight had faded away which was replaced by the shimmer of the crystals linking Pulse to Cocoon. I was so tired after walking that I just fell backwards onto the soft grass below me. Lightning eventually followed suit, and we simply gazed at the stars for a little while.

"It's amazing isn't it? To think they did all of that…" I trailed off. She knew what I was getting at.

"Yeah, it really is a wonder to behold. I hope we'll see them again one day."

"I'm pretty sure we will, but can you imagine the irony? The people who once hated Cocoon and its' people, were the very ones who saved us."

"Indeed. Plus this reminds me. Vanille always said she wanted to apologize to you. For what happened, I mean."

"Oh. Well then I guess I can accept her apology in person!" I said, hinting that they would come back to us eventually. I held up my hand to hold the huge planet before us, grasping, but obtaining nothing. With a sigh, I dropped it back to my side and then I turned over to Lightning. She was staring contentedly at the moon and I subconsciously reached for her armband.

_Five Years Ago_

"_Memories"_

_I was in the attic, cleaning when I stumbled across a box with that particular label. I called her over to see if she knew what was inside. When she said no, I became curious. The box seemed pretty old, judging by the furry sides of the weathered cardboard. Opening it up, my heart sunk. On the very top of the box was a picture of mom and dad, who both looked around my age. Lightning stooped lower to look at the faces of our deceased parents before rummaging through the contents of the box. Inside, there were old love letters, pictures of them out on dates, and even some trinkets of their outings. _

_At the very bottom was a pair of armbands, which didn't seem very common. There was a note attached to it that read "Serah and Claire birthday presents." It was a gift from their parenets that had died a few years ago. Claire stiffened while I let a tear drop to the floor. I reached out for the arm-band and found the inside was engraved. SERAH. It had my name in it and had a cat next to it. The other one read CLAIRE, with a little lightning bolt symbol next to it._

_Claire had always loved lightning bolts. They came quick, lit up the whole sky, and left in less than a few contrast, I absolutely adored cats. They were fluffy, soft, and looked cute. Mom and dad knew that about us, and thus had them specifically made for us. Forgotten after their sudden deaths, it had simply been collecting dust for a few years. I tried the arm-band on, sliding it up my left arm until it was tightly in place on my mid-bicep. Claire followed suit with her right arm, and it held in place in the same position. _

_Touching the leather of the band, I thought that although they were gone now, they would now always be with us._

**End Serah POV**

Lightning turned herself to face Serah, with a questionable look on her face. Serah always tugged at her arm-band whenever she was nervous or wanted to ask something.

"Claire, will you be there with me tomorrow for the operation?"

Lightning grasped Serah's hand on her arm, and assured her.

"I promise that I'll be there Serah."

"_But not in the way you'd expect…" Lightning sadly thought._

With a relieved sigh, Serah resumed looking at the stars.

Before they knew it, it was 11PM, the time that they should be heading home. Lightning got up and told Serah that they should be getting back. The Chocobo wasn't in sight, so Lightning whistled and then it came into view. They went back home without issues and slept for the coming day.

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**10AM Oerba Village**

It was time. The time for the operation, the time for… Lightning couldn't think about it. She saw that Serah had already set-up breakfast on the table, and was eating away. She took her place at the side of the table and then began eating. This would be essentially her last meal—her last moments, her last time eating with her younger sister.

When they finished eating, they set out to the hospital, and found that the preparations were completed. Serah had to go in first to do some final tests, and Lightning waited for her. The clock was ticking, and she was nervous. Shifting uneasily in her boots, she saw Serah emerge from the testing room. Everything had checked out and now she had to change and get ready. Lightning tried to be there as much as she could, and stopped when the nurses told her she couldn't go any further. Lightning gave her sister a reassuring smile, one that Serah returned, and left to get to her own preparations.

She changed, and took a deep breath before going to the operating room.

Serah was sitting in the bed, a morphine mask over her, and she was curious as to who the donor was. Stranger or not, she was eternally grateful to them, and would like to know the person who had helped her in her time of need. It was hard to see because there were medical instruments separating herself from the other person and doctors were walking around. In between the people and the objects, she saw thin wrists with a small frame. There were also some strawberry colored wisps emerging from the hair gown. Then her eyes fell upon an arm-band. One she was very accustomed to seeing. She froze.

"_No, no, no! It can't be! Claire....." _

That was the last thing Serah thought before she lost consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

**-Chapter 4-**

_Three years later_

It had been three years since Lightning had given up her life to save Serah. When she had awoken from the successful surgery, all she could do was cry. No one knew about it, aside from the doctors, and anyone who knew Lightning was saddened at her departure.

They had a funeral for her, and not many people had come much to Serah's dismay. Seeing the few people at the funeral just showed her how much Lightning had closed people off and her life was now tragically cut short because of her. It still didn't sink in, even after all those years. She had eventually married Snow, she was happy with that, though sad that her only family could not have been there.

Serah was in front of the old home that she had abandoned when she moved In with Snow. She never organized the things after Lightning's death because it was simply too much to bear. With a hesitant stride, she went inside the building she had been avoiding all those years.

Pushing open the metallic door, she could see the years of accumulated dust all over the place. The room was just as she had remembered it the day she left for the operation. Lightning's desk was neat and organized, with the exception of some dirt and grime that had came from years of not cleaning. Still reluctant, she sat at the seat that she saw her sister using everyday. She could almost imagine Lightning herself, sitting there, filling out papers, as usual. Serah shook her head at the remembrance and started shuffling through the desks. Some drawers had papers for work, another had writing supplies, and as she was sorting through these items, she found a picture tucked away in the corner.

It was a picture of Lightning when she was eighteen and Serah was fifteen. At that point, Lightning had joined the Guardian Corps and started becoming more distant. Serah didn't want that so she forced Lightning to spend some time with her that day, and although reluctant at first, she enjoyed herself. The thought made her smile.

Under the photo, there was a sheet of paper tucked behind it. It was less worn than the other documents in her desk, so Serah examined it. She held the paper up halfway to her face and gasped.

It was a letter. To her.

_Dear Serah,_

_If you're reading this… then I'm probably not around anymore. I couldn't stand the thought that you were going to die right in front of me again. It was too much to bear the first time, and I don't think I could've handled it the next. You had your whole life in front of you for it to be tragically cut short like this. College, marriage, children, I could go on. Me? I'm content. So please, don't blame yourself for my death. I did it of my own volition, knowing full well what would happen after. I'm also really sorry that I haven't spent that much time with you over these past years. If I could go back, I really would Serah. So, as a last request, please live your life to it's fullest and mom, dad, and I will be sure to watch over you._

_Sincerely, _

_Claire_

Serah began to shed tears on the paper. These were Claire's last words to her. Lightning had planned it from the beginning, and she didn't know any better. She was happy that she was getting a second chance at life, and she wasn't aware the Lightning was taking her place in her death sentence.

Serah wiped her eyes and saw a few words scribbled at the bottom of the paper.

_P.S. No matter what Serah, just remember I'll always love you._

As if on cue, Serah's or rather, Lightning's heart, resounded in response.

As she exited the building, Serah now had a new determination to live not only for herself, but for Claire as well. No matter what would happen, she'd get through it. Besides, Lightning would be there with her every step of the way.

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**A/N: There you have it. To be honest, I wasn't really satisfied with how the whole fic turned out. I might make a part 2 to this story in the future, but not right now. How might I make a part II? Hm... maybe you can guess, has to do with the Fal'Cie anyway. **

**Well, thanks for reading my story and listening to my ramblings :P  
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